Support



iatented July 4, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,514,134 .SUPPORTRobert L. Mann, Oak Park, m. y

Application November 7, 1947, Serial No. 784,658

Claims.

My invention relates to supports, and includes among its objects andadvantages a support of the type used to hold infants milk bottles,which is cheap and durable and afiords improved manipulative advantagesto the infant.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a perspective of the complete device in place on a crib;

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Figure 3;

Figure 3 is a section on line 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Figure-3; and

Figure 6 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a modifiedconstruction.

In the embodiment of the invention selected for illustration, thesupport includes hook means operating under tension for engaging theside members of the crib; receiving means for holding the bottle itself;and a connection between the receiving means and the hook means wherebythe hook means supports the receiving means subject to convenientlongitudinal adjustment by g the user.

its outer end bent to form a hook I4 which is 7 covered with a rubbersleeve IE to avoid marring the furniture. AS clearly indicated in Figure1, the hooks may be hooked over the side rails l8 of a crib, or anyother structural member that happens to be conveniently located. Forinstance, if the side rails l8 happen to be too high, the hooks can beengaged with the pilasters 20, either with or Without a bit of string tokeep the hooks from sliding down.

' The tension means includes the compression spring 22 encircling theoverlapping inner ends of the rods 18 and 12. The rod it passes throughthe spring from right to left, and its end is turned laterally out at 24and then into an arcuate portion 26 lying in a plane perpendicular tothe rod. The arcuate portion provides a firm abutment for the washer 28against which the spring 22 presses. The left hand rod l2 passes throughthe spring from left to right and has a, duplicate arcuate portion 26and abutment washer 28. It will be apparent that pulling the hooks l4apart to engage them with the crib will compress the spring 22 so thatthe hooks will be resiliently held against disengagement. And becausethe rods Iii and [2 are slightly flexible, the entire tension connectioncan sag down a little in the middle, which is desirable.

The receiver illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive includes a springsteel pillar 30 with a large band 32 spotwelded to it-near the top and asmall adjustable band 34 at theextreme lower end. The lower end of thepillar 30 is bent back up as indicated at 36, and the lower band may beentered in the bight thus formed, and welded or soldered in lace. Theband 34 is of relatively flexible metal, and. its outer ends 38 overlap.Thus the user can readily bend it to define an opening materially largerthan that illustrated in Figure 4, or materially smaller, so that afairly'accurate fit can be obtained with the necks of the bottles 40. Atits upper end the pillar 34 is bent to define a resilient downwardlyopening hook'42.

The connection between the receiver and the tension means is acylindrical tube 44 housing the spring 22, the washers 28 and thearcuate wire ends 26. It has a closure 46 at both ends to function as anabutment limiting the expansion of the spring 22 when the device is notsuspended under tension. The cylindrical exterior of the rod .44 canreceive the resilient hook 42 at any point throughout its length.

When in use as in Figure 1, the spring 22 is materially compressedcompared with its completely expanded condition in Figure 3. Thiscompression will move the washers 23" toward each other and leave aclearance inside the tube. This clearance permits the tube to slideaxially to and fro with respect to the tension connections. Thus thecaretaker can set the tension means and tube 44 up on the crib and thenhook the receiver and bottle onto the tube 44 in position directly overthe infant. If, during feeding, the infant happens to loose hold of thebottle, the tube 44 will swing pivotally about its own axis, but themovement of the bottle will be all in one plane and sufficientlyrestricted so that even a very small child can nearly always find thebottle again and continue feeding. Furthermore, if the infant happens toroll from side to side a little, all the infant need do i hang onto thebottle and the tube 44 can slide axially for a considerable distance toaccommodate the change of position of the infant.

In the embodiment of Figure 6 the receiver may be identical with that inFigure 1, and the tube 48 differs from tube 44 onl in having smalleropenings in its end closures. The overlapping rods l0 and I2 arereplaced by shorter rods 50' and 52, each flexibly connected at 54 to anextension 56 terminating in a rubber-covered hook 58. Tension isprovided by a tension spring 60 of undistorted length much less than thelength of the tub 48, which tension spring is connected to theproximateends of the rods 59 and 52.

Without further elaboration others may readily adapt the invention foruse under various conditions of service by employing one or more of thenovel features involved, or equivalents thereof. As at present advisedwith respect to the apparent scope of my. invention, I desire toplaimthe following subject matter: .1 p

1. In a support of the class described, in combination: a resilientsuspension adapted to span sion; a receiver shaped to receive aninverted bottle; and a connection between said suspene sion and receiverfor supporting said receiver on said suspension with limited. sliding.movement in a longitudinal direction along said suspension; saidsuspension including a central spring to maintain the tension of saidsuspension; said connection-being a tube 'housing said spring and ofgreater length than said-spring when loaded; "said; spring being acompression-spring, incombi- --nation with-tension rods ext n i pasteach othehthrough said springand projecting beyond said spring-inopposite directions.

2:, A support accordingto claim 1 "in" which which-each tension rod isconnected'at one end to the a'djacentend of said spring and at'theotherI 5 =porting-two spaced bands ;-the lower of the said tend projects outbeyond the end of said tube for attachment to said fixed structure.

o 3; In a'support of .the'classdescribed', incombination: a resilientsuspension adapted to span a ,space between two fixedstructures undertension; a receiver shaped to receive an'inverted bot- 35,

tle; and aconnection betweensaid suspension 'andreoeiver for supportingsaid receiver onsaid suspension with limited sliding movement in alongitudinal direction along said suspension; said pension includinga'central Spring t0main-"g receiver including detachable; means"atitsupper 2,084,243

end comprising a resilient downwardly open hook for affixing saidreceiver to said connection in any one of a plurality of longitudinallyspaced positions.

4. In a support of the class described, in combination: a resilientsuspension adapted to span between two fixed structures under tension;2, receiver shaped to receive an inverted bottle; a connection betweensaidsuspension and said re- 19 ceiver; said suspension e'comprising :twotension members adapted to be secured to said structures 1 and a springsecured to and joining said members; a space between two fixedstructures under ten-' said connection comprising a tube housing said,li'spring and of a length substantially in excess of ,15 the.loadedlength of said spring so that said tube 20 members and a centrallylocated spring joining said membersadapted'to span betweentwo fixed"structures under tension; a receiver for receiving aninverted-bottle; aconnection between-said suspension and said -receiver; said connectioncomprising a tube housing said spring and of a length in excess of thatof the spring when loaded; said tube being adaptedto slidelongitudinally of said suspension for properly positioning said'receiver; said receiver -comprising a pillar supbands'beingcirournferentially adj ustable;and the pillar being bent at its upperend to form a downwardly opening hook for affixing said receiver to csaid tube.

ROBERT L. MANN.

- REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences are of record in'the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date '1;30l,886 Tocknell Apr, 29, 1919Charles June 15, 1937

